So, I recently discovered Sara Bareilles on the radio. And wow! She’s really good. Definitely one of the best singer/songwriters out there today. I missed her recent concert in my neck of the woods. But I heard it was great. It’s always cool—and rare—when a musician’s live performances are better than their studio recordings. But,
When musicians write a song, they have to ask themselves a few questions. For example, does our song have a main melody? And if so, where do we repeat it? How many times? Do we need to add a second, contrasting melody, like a chorus? What about some buffer or break between the two melodies?
In the United States, people go crazy for Christmas. Or, better said, retail chains and grocery stores go crazy. Totally out of their heads. I mean, they start selling Christmas merchandise months in advance. Like BEFORE Halloween! Seriously—what is up with that? I like the holidays as much as the next guy, I suppose. But,
!!!WARNING!!! Okay, okay, I know. As an artist, you’re probably anxious to cut to the chase. You might be thinking, “let’s put our skills to use, and start making some music already.” And to be honest, I’m right there with you. But have patience, my child. These next couple of lessons focus a bit more
Circle progressions are useful because they show us the general flow of chords in a song. From one chord to the next, we can see where things are going. And while each pattern may be unique, one rule always holds true—every song has a definite sense of movement and direction. In other words, good music
You know, nothing says “summer” like the song “Great Balls of Fire” by Jerry Lee Lewis. It’s a great melody, but the video might be even better. I can’t explain the sudden mood lighting … or the reason Lewis keeps looking at the ceiling. But, hey, that doesn’t matter:
When we say the primary chords (I, IV, V) are popular, we ain’t kidding. They show up all the time in music. And while a lot of simple folk and pop songs use these triads, the most common example of a primary chord progression is what musicians call the “12-bar blues.” Without a doubt, you’ve
In the world of cinema, Alfred Hitchcock is still known as one of the greatest directors of all time. He was a master of suspense, scaring the [living daylights] out of audiences around the world. Some of his best movies include “Psycho” (1960), “Vertigo” (1958), “Dial M for Murder” (1954), and “Rear Window” (1954). In
In music, primary chords are so popular it’s almost a cliché. In fact, a lot of musicians live on a simple diet of just those three chords—the tonic (I), subdominant (IV), and dominant (V). Like a nice plate of rice and beans, we can serve these three triads up in a variety of ways … and
Gary Larson, who created the classic cartoon “The Far Side,” was brilliant. In fact, he still is a genius … although he’s retired now, and probably off on some beach sipping piña coladas. And if you ask me, he totally deserves some relaxation. Every one of his cartoons is pure gold. Plus, he could use